Safety stopping device for circular-knitting machines



- H. E. HOUSENIAN.

Y SAFETY SIOPIING DEVICE FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES- APPLICATION FILED AUG.2. I9I9.

1,364,112.. Patenmd Jan. 4, 1.921.;

' 4 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

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f5 2919 hm-12s f 21min/EK H. E. HOUSE-MAN.'

' SAFETY sToPPlNG DEVICE FOR cmCuLAR KNITTIKNG MACHINES.

APPLICATIUIN FILED AUGNZ, IBIS.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

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V H. E. HGUSEMAN. SAFETY STOPFING DEViCE FOR CRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES APPLICATN FILE() AUC-1.2, 1919.

1,364,112. v Ptnted Jan. 4, 1921. n

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Mmm/5K UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

Ennemi E. HousnivrAN, or rH11.f innnrzsiay` PENNSYLVANIA, AssiieNoR To' STANDARD MACHINE COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA.

LSSdJlZ,

Specification of Letterslatent.

SAFETY srorPiNe DEVICE son oineuLAR-KNITTING MACHINES- Patented J an,` 4, 192.1;

sppiieauon snai August 2, 191e. serial no. 314,873.

To all whom fit/flirty concer/n Be it known that L HAROLD E. HOUSE- iuaN, a citizen of the United States, residing athiladelpha, county of Philadelphia,

and State oi' Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useiul 1in irovemeiit in Safety Stopping Devices for ircular-Knitting Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, und exact description, reference being had to JtheI acconipanyin drawings, which forni a part of this specification.

In the modern automatic circular hosiery knitting machine, it is customary to provide a .pattern chain which controls the operation l5 of a pattern disk orcylinder,the lattercarry.-v ing parts which control the operation of various elements of themachine,'such as the clutch for shifting from rotation to oscil- `lation and vice versa, the cams for raising half 2o the needles out of action and restoring them to action, the cams for rendering active the lifting pickers and lowering pickers, the means for shifting yarn changing ingers into and-out of action, etc. To' enable the pattern chain. toI controlthe pattern disk or cylinder, the chain is provided at suitable intervals with lugs or high links, which control v the operation ot mechanism for turning the pattern disk or cylinder. The pattern disk or cylinder dictates certain f l u operations oi the machine in a certain se quence, but the time elapsing between certain otthese various operations of the machine may be varied by using, chains ot different 36 length and regulatingthe distance, measured in links, between the lugs. lin any pattern chain, however, the distances between lugs are necessarily lquite variable, vland therefore i the pattern disk or cylinder shall be brought toa v certain position, the pattern chainimust be brought to a synchronous position. 'if proper care belexercised'by a properlyinstructed operative, no troublecan arise; v.but

5l) unfortunately, due to ignorance or careless nessl on the part of an operative, the chain is not always positioned to synchronize with the pattern disk. This condition-may arise, for example, ii", forany reason, the machine tioned.

has been stopped and the chain shifted and then has not been restored' to` proper position; the consequences then, after the ina-3 chine is re-started, yoften being quiteserious, in that needles are broken and parts of the machine are damagedor ruined. The'niost 60 vital damage is apt to occur as the machine goes olf the heel or toe l i or example, .in atypical knitting machine, at the beginning of the heel or toe,l the' clutch is shifted to cause the machine 65 t@ change from rotation to oscillation, half 'the needles are moved out of action, the yarn `changing ,fingers are opei'ated,'and the "pick yers start 'to lift the remaining needles'outof action one by one. After the heel or toeI is half knit the lowering pickers are rendered active. t' the conclusion of the heel or toe knitting, the clutch is again shifted-"all the pickers are lrendered inactive, Vthe bank of needles that'was moved out of action'at the 75 beginning of the yheel or toe isfinoved into action and the yarn changing fingers are k operated. rfhese described operations re- 'quiie three shifts of vthe pattern disk or cylinder, which are caused to be elected by 8o three lugs on the pattern chain. Itis obvious thatthese three lugs must be spaced 'a given vdistance apart, because the chain moves synchronously with the needle eylinder, and just as the needle cylinder Vmust` oscillate' a given number lof times to l' coI'nplete the heel and toe, so must the chain `more a given number of links during the same period. .if thelugs are' not properly spaced, then the last two of said three shifts of the pattern disk or cylinder will be made when the `needles and other elements are not p in .proper vposition for, the operations nienl Assuming an. improper spacing of the lugs on the patternl chain, it is impracticable to specify exactly just what the abnormal condition's would be when the moment arrives tor going `ofi' `the heel or toe, as these. conditions will be diferent ,on machines of differentmake,` and will, indeed, Vary on the saine machine. 0n Standard or Houseman machines '(see, for example, Houseman Patent No. 1,207,757, dated' December 12,

19l6), the needles would be in such position lo: that they would etici-d no spacefor the necessary movement t the cam that restores the l inactive half of the needles to action and ne room for the yarn chan 'ngfingers to go into and out of action. hese parts would necessarily, however, positivel operate, and would break a number of neet les and break or bend any parts whose positive movements would be obstructed and any parts obstructing the movement of the positively actuated arts. p It is clear, therefore, that if the chain is in such position that the wrong lugr on the pattern chain effects that shift of the pattern disk or lug which causes the machine to start to knit the heel or toe, the fact that the two lugs following itwill not be spaced there-from at distances corresponding to the spacing of the two lugs'following the proper lug, will produce abnormal conditions4 of which these alluded to are illustrative'.

It will be understood that I have simply pattern chain is not properly adjusted to correspond with the position of the pattern disk orcylinder. I have illustrated one em-v bodiment of my invention which has been carefully worked out mechanically andthe operativeness of which has been demonstrated by prolonged experimental and practical use. I have also illustrated other embodiments of the invention, which illustrate rational embodiments ofthe same inventive conception. Other embodiments, with the suggestions afforded by the structures shown and described, could readily be amsm workedout by the skilled mechanic.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine, with lthe top of the machine table broken away.

Fig. 2 is a partial front View of the mechshown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 lis an elevation of the machine, looking at the right hand side of Fig. 1.

Figs. 6 and 7 are side views of parts of the machine in ('li'lercnt pofitions.

. Figs..8,' 9 and l() are views,similar to Figs. 6 and 7, of modifications.

Fig. 11 is aperspective view of a part of the pattern chain.

The" driving shaft a, through bevel gears b, b', and spur gear c. drives a rotaryfpi`nion c loose on the shaft (l, from which the needle cylinder is operated by the usual.

` means (not shown). An oscillatory pinion f, loose von the shaft d, is actuated by an oscillating quadrant f. The quadrant is 1,288,594. A clutch g,feathered on the shaft ci, isl shifted by mechanism herein-v after described, into engagement with the two pinions c and f alternately, thereby imparting to the needle cylinder alternate movements of rotation and oscillation. The clutch g is carried by an arm on a frame i slidable vertically on a post j.

The pattern disk z' is provided with peripheral ratchet teeth engaged by a pawl m. The pawl m is operated at suitable intervals bymechanism controlled by the pattern chain, thereby turning the pattern disk step by step. In some machines a pattern cylinder is used in place of a disk, and

it'will be understoodl that the term patp tern disk, as used in this description and in the claims, is intended to include any device or apparatus that controls or effectsl the operation of the machine elements, such as, for example, a pattern cylinder, a pattern drum, a pattern shaft, or a supplementary pattern chain. In the present machine., the pattern disk carries various devices which, as the disk is turned at irregular but fixed intervals, are moved successively intoI operation, these devices in turn actuating, or controlling the actuation of the various machine elements that control the knitting operation.

For example, a cam-way lc on the periphery of the pattern disk operates, at a predetermined time, a pin Z carried .by the frame i, thereby shifting the clutch g as hereinbefore described.

The pawl m is carried on a lever u ex tending from a hub o turnable on a post. The hub o has also arms p and g. The arm f/ carries a roller 7" engaging a cam s on the shaft f5, which, as before described, is constantly rotated. The cam s moves the arm g outwardly from the axis of the shaft f5, while a spring s (when free to act) moves t'he arm g inwardly toward the axis of the cam. In the absence of other` mechanism, therefore, the pawl m would be reciprocated at each rotation of the cam s and the pattern disk would be actuated at frequent and regular intervals. However, whenever the arm y is moved outward by the cam s (thus advancing the pawl m to advance the pattern disk li), the lever y) engages and displaces the hookedeml of one arm of a'bell crank lever t (see Fig. 5), the latter being fore is not retracted toengage the next tooth of the pattern disk ratchet until the lever t 1s moved to Withdrawn its hooked end from back of the lever [2. This actuation ot lever t is eli'ected by the pattern chain, as here inafter described.

The pattern chain lQ'is actuated by the following mechanism: On the rotating vshaftf is a cam iv embraced by thel bifurcated end of an arm w on a huh a', pivotedV on the same post onwhich hub o is vkpivoted. The hub an has an arm y that carries a paw] e engaging a ratchet'lO. The ratchet 1U 41s sleeved on the outside of the bearing for shaft a and carries a sprocket wheel l1.

lever so as to disengage its hooked ,end fromk the lever p, allowing thespring 8' to draw the arm q against the low face of the s,

A which then swings the lever g so as to ad.-

Vance the pawl m and ratchet the pattern disk z' forward a .distance ot' one tooth.

To the mechanism above described, I have applied my safety contriva'nce. lVhile the safety contrivance may be embodied, asbefore. stated, in dierent forms, I prefer to yso design and apply it that it will operate if one ofthegregular lugs 14 (in the specific'A embodiments shown herein any of the narrow lugs) underrides the lever t at one or more stages'of the knitting operation, but so that it will be withheld from operation if a special lug (in the ypresent case a lug 13) underrides the lever t. 1t is obviousy that if this special lug is the onerwhich,when

the chain is properly positioned', is intended to effect theoperation of the pattern disk so as to dictate thel operation of elements which are designed to operate at such stage of the knitting operation, the safety `contrivance will not operate and hence the machine will oipera'te just as if it were equipped with .no sa'jetydeviice whatever.

' Bearingv in mind that disastrous results are to be apprehended only after the machine passes'onto the heel or toe, have, in myy preferred embodiment, so arranged the safety contrivance that it will be adapted.

to operate only as. the machine passes onto the heel or toe. The chain is provided with two of the special lugs 13, each of which (when the pattern chain and pattern disk arey properly synchronized) effects that actuation of the elements designed to be operated at these two stages of the .knitting operation. 1t is therefore clear that if the pattern chain and pattern dish be properly v down pn synchronized, the safcty contrivance Willf" intended inode of operation ,of the preferred l embodiment .of my invention, I shall explain the construction ,and operation of the specific safety device which l hat-e actually usedand which is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive'.

0n the driving shaft' L is the fixed' pulley 15 and the loose pulley 1li. v larly AFigs. 1 and 17 vis a belt shifter slidable on a guide rod 18. A spring 1.9 (Figs. 1 and 2l)- tends to actuate the belt shifter to shift the belt from the fixed pulley 15 to the loose pulley 1G. i A stop 20 normally prevents the belt shifter from so mov ing. A springpressed rock-arm 21,to which the stop 20 is secured, normally holds the stop in operative position. i' i' The QlutCh-Carrying frame 7L has bearings in which is swiveled a rod 23, to which is secured an arm 22, which loosely/'embraces la pin Q00, secured to the lever 21. In the normal operation of the machine, the rod 23 does not turn, its only movement being an up and down movement, with the clutch frame, when the .clutch f] is shifted. This up and down movement does not actuate the stop 20, the arm 22 merely sliding up and the pin 200.

The rod 23 has at 1 (See pa rticu,` ,8

ts upper end a head to`i` which a pin 24 issecured 25 is a lever pivoted' between its ends. One end of ,this ,lever extends alongside of the chain-oper,-

atcd end of lever t in position. to beengaged by one of the special lugs ,13 but not 'in position to be engaged by one ot' the regular lugs 14e. A spring 27 holds the lever Q5 in the path ot' travel of the lugs 13. The other end of lever 25 is shaped to pro'- vide a recess E2G normally inline of the down 'ard movement of the pin Q4, as shown yin F ig.

It will bc clear that if a wrong lug let actuates the lever when the pattern disk e' is in position to shift to dictate the begin ning oit' heel or toe knitting, the lever 25 will not be actuated. Consequently, in the lowering of the clutch g (which is one of thev operations at this stage ot the knitting), 'the pin 24 moves into the recess 26 and pushes down the corresponding end of lthe lever The lever is so pivoted that, as its recessed end moves down with the clutch frame h, itnecessarily has also a .las

lateral movement relatively thereto, causing it, by reason of its engagement 4With the pin 24, to more the pin 'laterally and thereby turn the rod 23 on its axis, as shown in Fig. `6. The turning of rod 23 swings the arm 22, which/witl draws the stop 2O out of 'operative position, andthe belt shifterpl? ,is immediately' actuated by the spring 19 to shift the belt from the tight pulley 15 to the loosevv pulley 16, thereby stopping the machine;

Suppose, however, that a correct lug 13 actuates the lever t when the pattern disk is in position to shift to dictate the beginning of the heel or toe knitting. Then the lever -wi'll be operated by the lug slightly before the lug operates the lever t, although (in the specific embodiment shown) in the same turn of the sprocket Wheel 11', and the recessed end of the lever will swing into the position shown in Fig. 7, moving this end of the lever below, or out of the path of travel of, the pin 24. Hence` when the pattern disk z' is turned and the clutch frame h moves down, the pin 24 will not coact with the recess 26 and the belt shiftingA mechanism will not operate.

The coaction betweenl lever 25 and pin 24 in lthe specific construction described involves an operation of each by the other. In Fig. 8 is shown a slight modification.

:Here the` lever 30 (corresponding to lever 25) is held in position to be operated by a lug 13 by means of a spring 31. Spring 31. corresponds to spring 27 but should be of greater strength. The actuating end of -lever 30 is provided with an upturned edge the inner wall of which forms a cam 32 in line of movement ofthe pin 24. If, preparatory to' that shift of the pattern disk i which ldictates the beginning of heel or 'toe knitting, the properlug operates the lever t, the lever 3() is swung out of the path of movement of the pin 24, but if a wrong lug operates the lever t, thereby leaving the lever 30 in its normal position, the pin 24, in the lowering movement of the clutch frame, rides upon the cam 32 and is turned on its axis, thereby causing the belt-shifting mechanism to operate.

In the foregoing construction the pattern chain controls the position of the lever 25 or 30 and the stop mechanism is operated by the movement of the clutch shifter. In the construction shown in Fig. 9, the pattern chain, as before, controls the position of the lever, but the' stop mechanism is'actuated by the pattern disk The lever 40 (corresponding to lever 25 or 30) has a slot 41 engaging a pin 42. The lever 40 is therefore both turnable and slidable on the pin 42. A spring 43 holds the lever in its left-hand position, in which position it is in operative relation with the pattern chain. A stop 44 prevents the lever 40 turning on its axis except in opposition to the spring 43; The

actuating end of lever 40 has a cam-actuated head 45 provided with an actuating cam 46.

The head 45 is normally in line of travel of a cam 47 on the patternv disk Vhen the the machine frame.

vcam 47; engages the head 45 it tilts the corresponding end of the lever 4() down, thus causing the cam 46 to engage the pin 24 and thereby swing the rod 23 to actuate the beltshifting mechanism. This operation will occur only if the wrong pattern chain lug operates the lever t, thereby leaving lever 40' in position to be operated, as described, by the cam 47. But if the correct lug operates I knitting operation. It should be mentioned that, in this modification, the tnrnable rod 23 is not carried .on the clutch-shifting frame, but is journaled on a fixed part lof In the drawings, the rod is shown as turnable in two fixed suppoits 48.

In the construction shown in Fig. 10, the lever 50 (corresponding to lever 25, 30 ,or 40) is operated to actuate' the stop mechanism by the pattern chain: itself. One end of the lever 50 is held into operative relation with the chain by a spring 51 andv is pivoted at 52. The other end ot the leverO has a cam 53 adapted, when depressed, to engage the pin 24 and turn the rod 23 to stop the machine, as before described. This operation willloccur as soon as a special lug 13 engages the lever 50, unless the pattern disk is properly positioned relatively to the pattern chain; but if the disk is in its proper position relative to the chain a stop 54 carried by the disk underrides a projection 55 -on the ,lever 50 and prevents' the lever 5() withheld from moving down by the posi-Y tive stop 54.

I-laving now fully described ymy invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: I

l. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with driving means, of a clutch, a pattern 'disk and actuating means therefor, a

cam on the 'pattern disk for controlling the action Aof the clutch, a pattern chain,

lugs irregularly spaced on the pattern chain and'adaptedlto render said actuating means operative and thereby impart intermittent movements to thepattern disk at'irregular intervals; of mechanism to stop the ma chine, and contrivance'sadapted to efe'ct i the operation of thestop mechanismand in operative relation With both the pattern disk and one of said lugs on the pattern v chain and adapted to be renderedA operative or inoperative to stop the machine dependent upon the position. of the clutch cam 'on the pattern disk When said last'mentioned combination with driving means, ot a pattern disk, and actuating means therefor, mechanism to stop the machine, acontriv- V ance controlling the operation of the stop mechanism, and a pattern chain comprising lugs of diii'erential characterlstics all ot' which are adapted to render said pattern disk actuating means intermittently operav tive, While one of said lugs is also adapted to operate said contrivance and thereby cause the stop mechanism to be operated or not dependent upon Whether the pattern chain is or is not out of synchronous relation With the pattern-disk- 3. In a circular knittingmachine, the combination with driving means including a reciprocable clutch adapted to vcause a part of said driving means to eitherrotate or oscillate, apattern disk adapted, at predetermined but irregular intervals, to control the proper operation of the knitting mechanism and said clutch, through the medium of the clutch pattern disk actuating means, and a pattern chain adapted, when properly synchronized with the pattern disk, to so control the operation of saidl actuating means as to effect the specified operation of the pattern disk; of mechanism to stop the machine, a clutch frame carrying said clutch, contrivances adapted to cOp-' crate with the clutch frame to effect the operation of the stop mechanism, and means adapted, when the chain is properly' synchronized with the pattern disk, to prevent said'coperation of said clutch frame and contrivances.

a. In a circular knitting machine, the combination with driving means inclruling a 'reoipvrocable clutch adapted to canse a part of the driving means to either rotate or oscillate, a pattern disk adapted to control the operation of the knitting mechanism,

actuating means for the pattern disk, a pattern cham adapted to control the operation of said pattern disk, mechanism to stop the machine, and a clutch frame carrying said clutch, of means controlled by the pattern chain and adapted to render the clutch frame in its movement operative or inoperative to operate the stop mechanism dependent upon Whether the pattern disk is or is not out of synchronous relation with the pattern chain. l,

5. Ina circular knitting machine, the combination of driving means including a reciprocableclutch adapted to cause a part yof the driving means to either rotate or oscillate, a pattern disk adapted to control the operation of the knitting mechanism', actuating means for the pattern disk, a pattern chain comprising lugs all of which are adapted to render said pattern disk actuating means intermittently operative, mechanism to stop the machine, a clutch' frame carrying said clutch, means carried therebyadapted when the clutch is shifted to be turned into position to operate said stop mechanism, and a contrivance adapted to cause such turning movement of such clutch frame, one -of said lugs also being adaptedv to shift said contrivance and thereby prevent such turningV movement, whereby, if the clutch frame is shifted contemporaneously `with the operation of said contrivance, the machine will not be stopped.

6. A circular knitting machine having oscillatory and rotary driving mechanism, clutch mechanism for connecting either of said mechanisms, clutch shifting mechanism including a pattern disk, means for intermittently actuating the pattern disk, a pattern chain for controlling the action of the pattern disk, and means t9 stop the machine operable if the clutch shifting mechanism and the pattern chain are out of timed i Jrelation.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pa., on this 30th day of July, 1919.

, HAROLDv E. HOUSEMAN. 

